A Hamburger Today

Peruvian-Style Flounder Ceviche From 'The New Southern Table'

Posted by Kate Williams, May 16, 2014

[Photograph: Brys Stephens]

At first, I wasn't really sure what to do with the sweet potato slices that accompany Brys Stephens's Peruvian-style ceviche in his cookbook, The New Southern Table. They didn't strike me as particularly compatible with the gently pickled fish. Then I grabbed a slice with my hand, pretending it was a tortilla chip. Genius. The sweet starchiness of the boiled potatoes offered much more of a blank canvas for dipping than salty chips, balancing the fire of the chilies and tanginess of the lime juice.

Why I picked this recipe: I was too curious about how the sweet potatoes would work in this dish to pass it up.

What worked: I hadn't made ceviche using this method before, but you can consider me a convert. I liked that the fish in the final dish didn't have to sit in the citrus at all before serving; it stayed silky and soft instead of turning white and chewy in the juice.

What didn't: No problems at all.

Suggested tweaks: You could use any flaky white fish in place of the flounder. My fish market had sole, so I used that. Cod would also work well.